12 comments:

Alas, I can't win a book due to living in Australia, but I'd like to comment anyway. My father was in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. It took longer to defeat the Jews in the ghetto than it did to conquer the whole of Poland. Dad was one of a bunch of kids who used to sneak out to get supplies. He had a lot of stories to tell.

1. Most heroic defeat: How can I say anything other than the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War? Abandoned by neighbouring democracies (at Britain's lead),the supporters of Spain's elected government fought against Franco (and Hitler and Mussolini) to the bitter end, always against the odds, with the help of thousands of 'volunteers for liberty' who came from all over the world to rally to the cause, a fifth of them sacrificing their lives.

2. Favourite herb: I love mint, because it comes in so many forms, serves so many uses (hot tea, ice cold mojitos, delicious salads, sweet puddings....) and it's such a survivor. The apple mint at the end of my garden came originally from my granny's garden, sweetens my path to the compost bin, and never fails me.

That's amazing, Sue. And great that he told the stories, and passed them on - that doesn't always happen.

It seems almost disrespectful after that, but I'd like to nominate the Warsaw Rising at the end of the war. The people of Warsaw rose against the Germans, thinking that the Russians would come to their aid; but the Russians just sat and watched across the river while the city was flattened. Thousands were killed. It was doomed from the start, but it was a heroic attempt.

Oh, yes, herbs! I agree mint is great - I drink it boiled with ginger root, just a little raw sugar, yum! The ginger is good for you, too. And chamomile, which as well as being a soothing drink is something you can wash your hair in(I boil it up,let it cool a bit and rinse my hair in it to make it shiny and soft) and is also good for eye inflammation. I used it for hair and eyes long before I found out you could drink it too. :)

Erika W.Can't enter because I'm in the USA but I nominate the stand in the fortress of Masada. My favorite herb is rosemary, for its clean sharp scent and uses in cooking and also its beautiful flowers.

Heroic defeat? I've have to say the Battle of Pasir Panjang where 1,400 British, Indian, Australian and Malayan soldiers fought against 13,000 Japanese soldiers in an attempt to save Singapore. The majority fell and those that didn't would later go on to build the Thailand-Burma Railway, including the bridge over the River Kwai.

But just to add for everyone - normally HG competitions have to be limited to the UK for obvious reasons, but with such brilliant answers coming from abroad, I've had a word with the lovely people at Penguin and they've agreed (just this once)that winners can be from anywhere in the world.

And competition or not, I do hope the answers keep coming. I'd never even HEARD of Pasir Penjang, but just 5 minutes research shows it's a truly incredible story which ought to be much more widely known. Thank you so much, Chloe and Nikki-Ann, for putting it out there.

I've recently taken to growing and cultivating herbs - with a small amount of success! Picking my favourite herb is tricky. Hmm, it would have to be between rosemary and calendulas (marigolds). Both have such beautiful flowers, and such ancient histories of use. But I think I shall have to go for rosemary for the evocative smell, for remembrance, somewhere for the ladybirds to hide, for attracting a lover and keeping one, and for a home where the woman rules the roost!Kim

It seems small in comparison to the other events mentioned here, but I'd like to put in a word for King Harold's housecarls at the Battle of Hastings; though much of the English army had crumbled after the news of Harold's death, the housecarls, honouring their oath of loyalty, reputedly fought to the last man.

My favourite herb would have to be borage. Not only does it have edible leaves and beautiful flowers which are excellent for bees, but if you burn the plant it sparks and pops!

Search the History Girls

The History Girls

The History Girls are a group of best-selling, award-winning writers of historical fiction and non-fiction. Some of us write for young adults, some for fully fledged adults, some for younger readers.

Among us, we cover every period from the Stone Age to World War II. Geographically, our novels will take you from Trondheim to Troy, and the Caribbean to the Wild West, via Venice, Victorian England and Ancient Rome.

Individual, entertaining, sometimes provocative: on this daily blog we'll share our thoughts on writing, research, reviews, and all aspects of our work. We love what we do and we want to talk about it. We hope you'll want to join in!

If you want a History Girl to appear at an event or write an article or review, please contact her via her website (links are all goven on the About Us page)

Owing to an overwhelming amount of Spam, we have had to disable Anonymous Comments. Please do comment but you'll have to Follow us first.

Just scroll down in this right-hand column to under Followers and click Join this Site. Thanks.